A year later, players and coaches still have fresh memories of UAB's Hail Mary pass to beat Troy

Jackie Williams holds the football on the ground as his teammates begin celebrating. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Neil Callaway has played and replayed what is perhaps the most mem­orable single play in his four-plus seasons as UAB's head football coach.

He's looked at the play from all different angles and in slow mo­tion. That still doesn't mean he knows for sure if Blazers wide re­ceiver Jackie Williams was actually in the end zone on the 44-yard Hail Mary reception from quarterback Bryan Ellis that lifted UAB to a re­markable come-from-behind 34-33 win over Troy.

"Honestly, looking at it on film, I can't tell," Callaway said.

Williams, who had a closer view than most, said he still has no doubt it was a touchdown.

"I think the referees and the re­play officials did a good job," said Williams. "I never had full control of the ball until I laid down on my back and that's when I was across the goal line."

Troy players surround Jackie Williams while the ball is still loose. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

Troy defensive back Chris Pick­ett, who was nearby, sees it differ­ently.

"I saw him down," said Pickett. "I saw him down where he first caught the ball. That's not my job to tell the refs that he was down or not. It's all on the refs."

The referees on the field and the replay official in the booth ruled Williams scored. So the UAB cele­bration began once Josh Zahn con­verted the extra point.

Troy offensive lineman Kyle Wil­born said he never bothered to watch the replays.

"I saw it once and that was it," Wilborn said. "I was sitting on the bench and walked right off the field. I haven't seen the play since."

One of the themes around the Troy program this week is looking forward to Saturday's rematch at Veterans Memorial Stadium instead of focusing on the past.

For Troy, it's apparently more than just a game. In the Troy sports information department game notes there is one note that reads the game included "perhaps the most controversial ending to a game in Trojans coach Larry Blakeney's career."

It also says the call wasn't overturned by replay officials "despite obvious evidence that the Blazers' receiver never reached the end zone."

Blakeney said the play hasn't been a popular subject in his preparation for UAB.

"I made one comment about it to (the players) and that was nobody needs to comment about that (play)," said Blakeney, whose team had a 23-0 lead in the first half. "If you want to talk about that game, talk about the drive they had to get them in position to win the game. I ain't talking about it and I hope our players aren't talking to anybody about it."

The drive covered 99 yards in nine plays and took the final 1:09 off the clock. UAB, with no timeouts left, began the drive with two incomplete passes before Pat Shed made a 20-yard catch to get things moving.

As Blakeney put it, the Blazers were able to "manipulate their way somewhere around midfield" to set up the winning play.

UAB players celebrate with students and fans after the win over Troy.

For Williams, who was playing in a UAB game for the first time and with his grandmother in the stands, the play seemed to take forever to unfold.

"Like everybody says, it was like slow motion," Williams said. "I was running down the field and it took forever to get down there. I turned around and saw the ball still in the air. I just went up there, tried to make a play on the ball and, fortunately, it worked out."